Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-08-31
THE FIRE CoMMIssIoNEi.s.
They Meet but Transact No Business-A
Nice Kettle of Fish.

| Sloner Slater commissioner Conran wa
absent, being confined to his bed wit
sickness. The meeting was called to orde
by President Griffi,ts. The meeting wa
attended by a number of the members @
the Department. Beside President Griffitt
sat Chief Engineer Sullivan. and to tn
right of Commissioner Slater was Assistan
Engineer O'Meara.
Mr.. O'Meara asked the Secretary, Mr.
Jackson, who sat at the table calmly
smoking cigar, if he wished some writing
paper.
Mr.. Jackson replied: II don't see any
book here"
Mr.. Griffitts-The book you refer to, Mr.
Jackson, you will not probably see TO-
night
Mr.. Slater-If we cannot have the jour.
nal don't think we can do any business
tonight.
Mr.. Griffitts-I presume the Secretary has
the minutes of the last regular meeting
That will answer every purpose.
| Mr.. Jacksonville records and some OF
my memoranda have been taken from my
drawer. When they are returned | will
proceed with business.
Mr.. Griffitts-9ou did not have those
books with you at Mr.. Conran's room. II
you could proceed then without them, why
| cannot you do the same thing now? The
proceedings of that socalled meeting can
not be written in the journal, and you can
not get that book tonight. know where
it is, and you have your recourse
Mr.. Slater-Do you refuse to produce the
journal?
Mr.. Griffitts-I do, sir, without an order
of the Court. ] received very imperti-
nent communication from the Secretary
today demanding tha journal
Mr.. Jackson meant just what l wrote
demand the journal.
AT this juncture A. l.. Hart, Mr.. Griffitt' s
attorney, came into the room, and Mr. Grit
fits said: - If my attorney advises me to
surrender the journal l will do So
General Hart-Mr. Griffitts, you, be-
lieve. are the President of this Board
Mr.. Griffitts-Yes, sir.
General Hart-You are also custodian of
the books?
Mr.. Griffi'ts-As much as anyone.
MIR. Slater guess you are not.
Mr.. Jackson-No, sir, you are not; am
the custodian of those books.
General Hart Ito Mr.. Griffitts)-Let them
ask for them, but do not give them up.
Mr.. JACKSON made demand for them
in writing, and l now ask again for them.
Mr.. Griffitts said he would like to proceed
with the business of the meeting so far, at
least, as to allow the monthly bills. The
Secretary, he said, was paid $40 per month
for keeping the minutes, and he saw no
reason why he should not produce his
memoranda and proceed. The Secretary
did not do what he was employed for, but,
on the contrary, did many things he ought
not to.
Mr.. Jackson-That is my privilege.
Mr.. Slater-I refuse to proceed with any
business until the journal is produced.
MIR. Griffitts-I was in hopes that this
farce would be brought to an end tonight
The department is badly demoralized and
the late fire on l street was so badly man
aged that several policies have since been
cancelled, insurance companies refusing to
take the risks which are increased since the
so-called meeting at Conran's house. Good
men were then put off for no cause, and
men totally unworthy and unfit put in
their places. Under the present state of
affairs apprehend the great risk this city
is running should there be a serious con-
fiagration. The result of this business will
be wholesale cancellation of policies and
an increase of at least % per cent in rates.
This ugly business, which imperils the CITY,
should be brought to a speedy termination
Mr.. Slater-I am ready to proceed to
business at any time when you are ready
to do the fair thing. Bring up the journal
anu nave IL WTllteu up. Untll YOU DO, /
refuse to do any business.
Mr.. Griffitts-I presume YOU consider a
recognition of the Conran meeting fair
thing. L ignore that so-called meeting en-
tirely.
Mr.. Slater-You had no right to take that
book away from this hall.
MIR. Gritfitts-You can get that book by
process of law. l shall not refuse to sur
render it upon an order of Court
Mr.. Slater-Well l refuse to proceed
with business without them.
Mr.. Griffitts-That. being the case, the
Board stands adjourned for one month.
THEIR LITTLE SCHEME.
AS Mr.. Griffitts was leaving the room in
company with General Hart, Mr.. Slater
jumped up rather excitedly. and handed
him paper, saying; Il serve this upon
you, SIR
Mr.. Griffitts took the document, and,
after glancing at it, handed it over to Gen
eral Hart. 1t read as follows:
SACRAMENTO, August 80, 1857.
Mr.. George ". Jackson, Secretary of the Sdcra.
nehto PAD Fire Department-DEAR SIR: We
hereby request you to call special meeting OF
the Board of Fire Commissioners for the purpose
of allowing the pay roll and bills for the month
of August and such other business as may be
necessary. Said meeting to be held at the
rooms of John Conran, No. 10l5 J street above
Eleventh, tomorrow, August 3lst. at 10 A. NJ.
JOHN CoNRAN.
JOHN +. SLATER
General Hart Ito Mr.. Griffitts) This has
been served upon you. You can call the
meeting here. This is the legal place for
transacting the business of the Commission
Mr.. Griffitts then gave Mr.. Slater notice to
be present at the meeting, and which
would be held to-day in the Commission
ers' rooms on Fifth street, between J and
X
Here Is another spectacle for the " free -
people of Sacramento to consider An
other call has been made for another
trump" meeting of two members of the
Board, to be held in an uptown bedroom
of member of the Board, who lies at the
point of death, and who for fourteen
months has been unable to attend but two
meetings, on account of extreme sickness
and Inability to give any attention to
the duties of a Commissioner This is
| not contest between members of the
Board, but one to determine whether
the political bosses, who, having
secured two of the Commissioners
as their willing and servile tools, shall now
take absolute possession of one branch of
the city government and reorganize it,
| turning out faithful and tried men and
putting in their places persons who had
been previously suspended as unreliable
by reason of drunken habits or otherwise
found to be unworthy, and who were again
put on solely because the bosses explicitly
ordered that they should be, as they were
wanted in those positions to help the polit-
| ical machine and not to assist in running
| fire engines and putting out fires.
1t is question which is the most unac-
countable of the two appalling facts-that
| the bosses. in order to carry cut their ne
! farious work, will follow one of their tools
| into the shadows and confines of the grave
| to obtain his vote, when he is unable to
exercise it except in uninelligent bewilder-
ment from physical weakness and disease
or that man, balancing upon the border
land of eternity, will permit his ethereal
skirts for departure to the beyond to be
besmeared with the miserable drippings
and smutty blackness of political machine
manipulation, and to look back upon such
record as the last Of mans earthly work.
Last night a majority of the members OF
| the Board was present at regularly called
and constituted meeting, and at the legal
place for holding the same At that meet
| ing both of the Commissioners owned
| by the bosses were not present and
under orders from their superior, nc
business was allowed to be done,
But pending that same legally consti-
tuted meeting-under instructions from
I A. low